United, Delta, and American expand long-haul routes; United leads with longest nonstop flights

Delta’s longest nonstop flight is from Johannesburg to Atlanta, scheduled at 17 hours, operated five times weekly with the Airbus A350-900. Delta also flies from Cape Town to Atlanta and Detroit to Shanghai Pudong with block times of 16 hours and 30 minutes and 16 hours and 15 minutes, respectively.

American’s longest nonstop service is from Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane, scheduled at 16 hours and 50 minutes, operated six times weekly to daily with the Boeing 787-9. This route, launched in October 2024, had a seat occupancy rate of 73% between its launch and May 2025, according to the US Department of Transportation. The airline has adjusted operations for November and December, offering a sub-daily schedule more frequently than last year.

Other notable long-haul services, such as routes from Los Angeles and San Francisco to various Australian cities, do not meet the 16 hour and 15 minute threshold for inclusion. For example, Delta’s new Los Angeles to Melbourne route and United’s new San Francisco to Adelaide service both have maximum block times under this threshold. Delta’s Los Angeles to Melbourne route, starting December 3, will operate three times weekly on the A350-900, marking Melbourne as Delta’s third Australian destination. United’s San Francisco to Adelaide route, beginning December 11, will be the first nonstop service from the US to South Australia’s capital, also operating three times weekly on the 787-9. Both new routes are supported by financial incentives and risk-sharing agreements.

The growth in long-haul routes reflects a broader trend, with SkyTeam’s share of US-Australia services rising from 9% to 11% in the past year.